All posts tagged: Bring a Trailer

My 1984 BMW e28 533i is For Sale

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For the last five summers I’ve been enjoying the e28 I bought from just outside Portland, Oregon from its long time owner. The previous owner bought the car in July 1987 and kept the car until July 2018. I wrote about the long time owner here. It’s a 1984 533i which was only sold in the US and Japan in small numbers. This 533iA is one of 2,514. This rare model has the 3.2L version of the M30 making it just as fun to drive as the 535iS. The 533i is also lighter than the 535i and 535iS. Alpinweis paint over rich Pacific blue leather interior. One charming feature of early e28’s like this one is that they used horsehair cushioned seats; this gives the cabin a wonderful scent reminiscent of a vintage Porsche. The later model e28’s used foam, so they lack this quality. This car has been a joy to own and has been meticulously kept throughout its life, primarily by the previous owner – who has kept hundreds of service records detailing …

Rare 2001 E39 530i Sport Package with Manual Transmission For Sale

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For sale is an exceptionally clean 2001 E39 530i with the desirable sport package and manual 5-speed transmission combination. In my opinion, this is the best all-around BMW you can buy today. Nothing that came before it, and nothing that came after the E39 really lives up to all that this car offers in one great value package. What other car offers: timeless styling, the ability to drive a modern classic on vintage plates with discounted tax and insurance, comfortable for the family yet still sporty with direct road feel and confidence inspiring handling unmatched by any other five series? This car actually belongs to my Father who lives out in the suburbs north of Chicago, Illinois. He bought this car from down South so it is very clean and solid, never exposed to road salts and has been garaged and driven only in Summer under his ownership. I have personally driven this car while visiting my family last summer; the car drives beautifully (and I’ve driven a lot of E39’s). The manual transmission is …

What it’s Like to Own an E28 BMW for 30 Years

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Its July 1987: Full Metal Jacket is playing in movie theaters nationwide and the E24 M6 graces the cover of the July issue of Car and Driver. Gasoline hovers around 0.90 cents per gallon and U2’s Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For hit top of the Billboard Hot 100 music chart. I wasn’t even born yet – until December that year. The Summer of 87 is when the previous owner of my E28 began shopping for and ultimately purchased his 1984 533i from an ad in the local paper. The dealer invoice I have dated July 16, 1987 indicates a sale price of $19,000 which became $21,084.50 after tax and title. He would drive the car for the next 31 years until I bought the car in July 2018. Last week, I sent an email to the previous owner to ask some questions that I had hoped would help me understand more about the car and it’s long time owner. We hadn’t spoken since the pandemic began in 2020, but I knew I wanted …

Rescuing a Classic BMW E39 Touring Sport Wagon

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It’s been nearly five months since I last posted a video on YouTube. It was a fun video where I just drove around in our E53 X5 during a blizzard here in Connecticut. That was early February, 2021. Check it out below: It was around this time that I came across a very sad 525iT which was just listed for sale locally on Craigslist. With several feet of snow piling up during a tough New England winter, there wasn’t much to do but indulge in the pastime we all love: browsing online car ads for old BMW’s. It wasn’t long before I saw the touring ad on Craigslist Fairfield. It had been advertised for $1,600 which seemed like a steal at first glance. That was of course, until I saw the car in person. It was definitely the worst condition car I’ve probably ever seen, let alone purchased. Nearly everything was broken and needed replacing. Service engine soon light illuminated. Seats torn. Driver seat not moving. Interior disgusting. Rust. Dents. Dings. Sunroof stuck closed. Curb …

The Best Used BMW to Buy in 2020

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So you’re in the market for a used BMW? In this post I’ll share with you what I think is an incredible undervalued buy on the used luxury German market right now. This car also happens to be one of the best BMW’s ever made: my all-time favorite BMW, the luxurious and reliable E39 530i. In this post I’ll go over why the E39 is the best used BMW to buy today in 2020. Search for used E39’s on the eBay market here. First, let’s chat about the glorious piece of engineering that is the E39. I have created over 100 DIY videos on this fourth generation 5 series sedan over the last five years of creating on YouTube, so it is fair to say I know them pretty well. My E39 buyers guide here outlines exactly what to look for when considering the purchase of one of these fine machines. A midsize sedan, this five series was available in 525i, 528i, 530i, 540i and M5 configurations here in the US. Manufactured from 1995 to …

The Best BMW Wheel Cleaner?

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There are a ton of choices available when it comes to wheel cleaner detailing products and sprays. Everyone has a favorite, and they are without a doubt an essential part of BMW ownership thanks to those dusty factory organic brake pads stuffed into every production BMW out there. Ceramic brake pads are known for their low or zero dusting, coupled with excellent braking bite under spirited driving at high brake temperatures. I have tried several aftermarket brands of high performance ceramic brake pads over the years, and never really liked any of them more than the BMW factory pads. The factory pads dust a ton, but their bite is excellent for a daily driven car and they’re also very quite. 

Delphin 1987 325is 5 Speed For Sale

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The time has come to sell my Delphin Metallic 1987 325is. I started driving E30’s back in 2003 after purchasing my first 325i for $700. It was arguably the coolest cheap car you could buy back then. These days, a 325is in original form commands more dollars and more respect after many years of flying under the radar. The secret is out: the E30 is a bonafide cult classic. 

E30 M3 Body Conversion Replica

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This weekend I came across a 1987 325is which has been converted to E30 M3 bodywork and listed on eBay. This M3 tribute car appears to have been done rather well and was built with some authentic E30 M3 body panels. It doesn’t have an M3 c-pillar however, which certainly gives it away that it’s a standard E30 body.